Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. R. HOWELL. GAR COUPLING.

No. 542,944. PatentedJuly 16, 1895.

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NITED STATES PATENT Curios.

JOHN R. ROWELL, OF EMORY, TEXAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,944, dated July 16, 1895.

Application filed April 20, 1894:. Serial No. 508,360i- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, JOHN R. ROWELL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Emory, in the county of Rains and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Automatic Oar-Coupler, of which the following is a specification. I

,My invention relates to an improved carcoupling and has for its object to provide in an automatic car-coupling improved means for holding and guiding the link into the draw-head; and to this end my in'ventiou consists in the novel features hereinafter fully described, and definitely pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a longitudinal central section of my improved coupling, showing the parts as coupledtogether. Fig. 2 is a similar view of one of the drawheads, showing the parts in position to receive the link to effect the coupling; and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the link;

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates the draw-head, recessed upon its upper interior wall, as at a, thus forming two shoulders, as at a (1 Within the draw-head A is arranged a pin-support 0, consisting of a block, preferably formed of metal, provided at its upper forward portion with a laterallyprojecting flange C, said flange and upper portion of the block resting within the recess a, which is made sufficiently long to permit of a limited movement of'the block bet-ween the shoulders a a for the purpose hereinafter made apparent. Projecting rearwardly from the block 0 is a guide-rod c, that at its rear end passes through a perforation formed in a head D, rigidly secured in the draw-head, and about said guide-rod is coiled a spring E that at one end is secured to the block 0 and at its other end is secured to the head D.

B indicates the coupling pin passing through suitable perforations formed in the upper and lower walls of the draw-head, as usual. Normally the spring. E exerts an expansive force to throw the pin-supporting block outwardly or toward the front end of the draw-head, the shoulder a acting as a stop against which the flange O abuts and thus limits the outward movement of said block. When the block is thus thrown out-' ward and the device is in position for coupling, the coupling-pin rests on the flange C of the pin-supporting block 0, as shown in Fig. 2, and as the other draw-head is caused to approach the link strikes the block 0 and drives it back into the draw-head, thus forcing the flange C from beneath the pin B, upon which the pin will drop by gravity through the link and into the perforation formed in the under side of the draw-head, thus completing the coupling. The shoulder 0/ forms a stop for limiting the inward movement of the block 0 and prevents the undue compression of the spring E, while the shoul- .der a limits the outward movement of the block, as before described, and prevents the accidental and complete withdrawal of the block from the draw-head.

In order that the pin-support C may be inserted within the draw-head I form the latter in two halves or sections, an upper and lower one, which, after the pin-support has been placed in position between them, are bolted together. This manner of forming the draw-head is well known and, therefore, requires no detailed description.

In order that the link maybe supported in a horizontal position and be properly guided into the draw-head without the intervention of human aid the same is constructed as follows: Midway between its ends the link F is provided with a bridge-piece F, to which are secured the guide-springs G G, each consisting of a flat steel spring secured at one end to said bridge-piece F and thence curved downwardly and rearwardly in such manner that when one end of the link is inserted in the draw-head and the coupling-pin passed therethrough the guide-spring adjacent to the coupled end of the link will bear upon the lower forward portion of the draw-head and support the link in the proper position to enter the approaching draw-head. By making the guides G of spring metal the link will be yieldingly supported and the liability of the guides being broken by the shock caused by the impact of the link against the block 0 will be obviated.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a car coupling, the combination of the drawhead A, the sliding pin support block 0 provided at its upper forward edge with a laterally projecting flame C, said block and flange resting within a suitable recess formed in the upper interior wall of the drawhead and having a longitudinal movement therein, the rod 0 carried by said block and passing through a perforated head D fixed in the drawhead, a coiled spring arranged around said rod between said block and head, the coupling pin B, and the link F provided with downwardly and inwardly projecting spring guides G, substantially as shown and de scribed.

2. A car coupling link provided with the spring guides G projecting downwardly and 15 inwardly in opposite directions, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

J. R. ROWELL. W'itnesses:

R. W. PRIEST, A. P. FITZGERALD. 

